Detonating-fuse.



No. 840,226. PATENTED JAN. 1, 1907. H. MAXIM. DETONATING FUSE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.29, 1903.

00s 000 0092 0 I D yaww ATTORNEY city and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Detonating- HUDSON MAXIM, OFNEW YORK, N. Y.

DETONATlNGi-FUSE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1907.

Application filed January 29,1903. Serial No. 1 21,066-

To cal? whom it may concern.-

B'Qli? known that I, HUDsoN MAXIM, of 891 Sterling Place, Brooklyn,county of Kings,

Fuses, which invention is fullv set forth in the followingspecification.

The present lnvention relates to improvements in time-fuses forprojectiles, and esj pecially those adapted for use in shrapnel I andfield-shell. l

The object of the invention is to rovide a fuse which may be so set thatthe ignition l of the bursting charge of the projectile may i be timedto take place with the greatest possible degree of accuracy, while thefuse shall at the same time consist of but few arts and those simple ofconstruction and inexpensive of manufacture.

In carrying out the invention a body of self-combustive material, likecolloidal smokeless-gunpowder material or a mixture i i l l l l ofsmokeless-powder material or other 001- j loidal or agglutinatingmaterial with a small 1 quantity of black gunpowder incor oratedtherewith, is provided, and this is so idly incased in a tube orreceptacle, to the walls of l which it is sealed or attached oragglutinated in such wise as to preclude the ignition of the surface ofthe material between it and the l wall of the tube or casing. The bodyof the selfcombustive compound is impervious to the flame of ignition,and means are provided fer igniting .the said body of material upon oneend or surface only, so that the body is j consumed with a definite anduniform rate of combustion through its entire depth or 1 length. Thecasing or receptacle for this, body of self-combustive compound is pro-'1 vided with an aperture or apertures comf municating with the burstingcharge of the projectile, so that as soon as the body of self-combustivematerial is burned through the ,iiame at once communicates with thebursting charge, setting it on fire and exploding the projectile. Meansare further provided for igniting the self-comhustive material by theforce of acceleration of discharge of the projectile from the gun, andmeans are further provided for choking or impeding the esca' e of theproducts of combustion of the se '-combustive compound, causing thematerial to be consumed with greater or less rapidity, according to thedefree escape of the gases is gree in which tne prevented or chokedofi'. To secure this end, 1

the aperture is closed by a cap or plug or valve held in position bya-spring, and means are provided for increasing or lessening the tensionof the spring and the consequent pressure of the valve or cap upon itsseat. Means are also )rovided to enable reading or ascertaining theamount of tension placed upon the spring and the amount of pressure ofthe plug or'valve upon its seat in consequence of the spring tensionwhereby the time required for the consumption through its entire depthof the self-combustive ma terial to the aperture communicating with thebursting charge of the projectile may be determined with great nicety.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is 'a longitudinal central sectionof the fuse with the remainder of the projectile partly in section andpartly in elevation. Fig. 2 is an end view of the projectile and fuse.Fig. 3 is a transverse section of Fig. 1 on the line A B. Fig. 4 is alongitudinal elevation, partly in section, of the fuse and adjacentparts of the projectile.

In Fig. 1, A is the body of the projectile, and B is the nose portion ofthe projectile, providing a chamber D for the bursting charge ofgunpowder. Into this nose portion B is screwed the casing E of the fuse,having a tubular extension F entering the chamber D and into thebursting charge. In the rearward extension is a body G ofself-combustive material, between which and the forward parts of thefuse is provided a small combustion-chamber H. A thimble l is screwedinto the casing E, and into the rearward end of this chamber is ailixeda percussion-cap J, and a firing-pin K is mounted in the thimble l, towhich it is ailixed by a shear-pin L. A small aperture or depression )1to facilitate ignition is provided in the forward end of the body ofself-combustive compound G. A thimble or cap N is placed over theforward end of the thimble 1, forming a valve-seat between the closedend of i the cap or thimble X and the open end of the thimble l. T hethimble N is provided with a screw-thread upon its outer surface, to

which is ailixed a spring-holder O with a corresponding screw-threadupon its inner surface and containing acoilcd spiral spring P, thespiral spring P being attached to the holder 0 and casing E by screws orrivets Q. Gas-exits R are provided in the thimble N, which serve toallow the escape of the products of combustion of the compound G throughand from the valve-seat between the thimble I and the thimble N, whilegrooves S are cut in the body of the firing-pin K to allow the freepassage of the products of combustion past the. firing-pin A smallaper-,

ture T is provided through the forward end of the thimble I for thepassageof the flash to ignite the body of self-combustive material G,which isfacilitated, preferably, by a small quantity of granular powderplaced in the chamber H. Passages U are provided between the-chamberinto the space containing thefiring-pin in the thimble I for the freeescape of the products of combustion generated in the chamber H.

In Fig. 4 the spring-holder O is shown thrown out part way-by turningthe valvethimble N, which puts the spring under greater tension andincreases the pressure of the valve-thimble N upon its seat, formedbetween it and the end of the thimble or tube I, which causes theself-combustive compound G to be consumed with such rapidity as to causethe explosion of the gunpowder charge D when the projectile shall havetraveled a distance of two thousand five hundred yards. A portion of thespringholder in this figure is inele'vation, showing markings in yardsupon its surface. The flight of the projectile through the air willcause a considerable pressure to be exerted upon the forward end of thespring-holder O and upon the forward end of the valve-cap or thimble N,due to the resistance of the atmosphere or to the pressure of the air,and this will materially aid in placing pressure upon the valve-seat andfor accelerating the.

combustion of the self-combustive compound G. It is obvious that thisarea may be increased, if desired, even to that nearly equaling thecross-sectional area of the projectile itself, thereby subjecting thevalveseat to still greater pressure.

What is claimed is- 1. A fuse for projectiles, provided with means fortiming the explosion of the projectile by regulating the pressure uponthe products of combustion or the conditions of confinement of a body ofself-combustive material, whereby the speed of its combustion is madecorrespondingly rapid or slow, as desired.

.2. In a fuse for projectiles, provided with a body of self-combustivematerial, means for igniting the self-combustive material, and means forregulating the speed of combustion of the self-combustive material.

3. In a fuse for projectiles, provided with a self-combustive material,with means for igniting the self-combustive material, means forincreasing or lessening the pressure of the products of combustionescaping from the self-combustive material.

4. In a fuse for projectiles provided with a body of self-combustivematerial impervious to the products of combustion interposed between anigniting means and .the bursting charge ofthe projectile, meansregulating or increasing or diminishing the rapidity of combustion ofthe self-combustive material.

5. In a fuse for projectiles provided with a body of self-combustivematerial impervious to the products of its combustion, means confiningits combustion to but one surface of the body.

6. In a fuse for projectiles, provided with a body of self-combustivematerial interposed between an igniting means and the bursting charge ofthe projectile, means igniting the.

opposing the escape of the products of combustion escaping from theself-combustive dy- 8. In a fuse for projectiles, provided with a bodyof self-combustive material interposed between an igniting means and thebursting charge of the projectile, a valve for the escape of theproducts of combustion of the self-combustive compound, with meansregulating the pressure of the valve upon. its seat.

9. In a fuse for projectiles, provided with a body of self-combustivecompound interposed between an igniting means and the bursting charge ofthe projectile, and provided with a passage for the escape of theproducts of combustion, a valve closing the passage, with means for.controlling the resistance of the valve to the escape of the productsof combustion.

10. In a fuse for projectiles, provided with a self-combustive materialinterposed between an igniting means and the bursting charge of theprojectile, means for impeding free escape of the products of combustionof the self-combustive compound, exerted or actuated by atmosphericpressure or resistance to the projectile during flight.

11.. In a fuse for projectiles, a fuse-chamber, a self-combustwematerial therein between an igniting means and the bursting charge ofthe projectile, and means actuated by the resistance of the air durinthe flight of the projectile and regulating t e pressure in saidchamber.

In testimony whereof I, HUDsoN MAXIM, have signed this specification inthe presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HUDSON MAXIM.

